The Tables Have Turned
"Hoo.... Hoo...."
Every exhale sent a plume of white breath into the frigid air. The hunters perched along the cliffside fixed their trembling gazes on a single point below.
Tonpe, the Ran-hu Tribe heir at the forefront, clenched and unclenched his fist twice. That meant more than ten monsters.
The reason this low-level youth had become the scout wasn't his level—it was his unmatched eyesight among the hunters, allowing him to spot threats from impossible distances.
To count the monsters from that far away, barely making out the lair entrance between the canyon walls... I couldn't hide my admiration for his vision.
Wide field of view means wide attack range. No wonder he's a Heroic-grade NPC. Specialized talents like that set them apart.
His classification as Heroic probably stemmed from that eyesight. With that realization, the sub-quest to keep him alive this hunt suddenly felt even more worthwhile. Having Tonpe as a subordinate could prove invaluable down the line.
Not just against the eight great clans—for continental conquest, war is inevitable. And in war, nothing matters more than eyes overlooking the battlefield.
Tonpe signaled the monsters' positions, and Aishira and Kawara swiftly divided the hunters, positioning them along the cliffs.
"Ten monsters around the lair total. No signs of activity inside, so the dragon's still hibernating," he reported.
I nodded at his assessment.
Dimension World's dragons fell into two categories: ancient high dragons—supreme beings wielding human speech, superior intellect, and magic—and mere massive reptiles, monster dragons. The latter resembled dragons superficially but lacked intelligence. They could breathe fire but not cast spells or speak. In compensation, their physical prowess was monstrous, living up to their name.
Among the six great dragons, White Dragon Lanselro had the lowest intellect.
Which explains devouring a divine beast.
Despite wings, they were either atrophied or forgotten; Lanselro couldn't fly, lumbering on all fours instead. It seemed the easiest of the six great dragons on paper, but reality was different.
Low intelligence bred maximum ferocity. Lacking magic, its wild instincts granted dragon-like speed. Its scales resisted magic entirely, tough and resilient. In some ways, it was trickier than Raparon, the third-ranked Red Dragon I'd once slain—making Lanselro the second-toughest among the six.
"Monsters look like Snow Chameleons. Fewer than ten stripes each, so juveniles... Should we wipe them out at once?"
I shook my head at Tonpe's question.
"Lanselro hasn't emerged because we slipped in without alerting it. Even with low IQ, it's one of the six great dragons. Hibernating or not, it knows we're here."
"...Pardon?"
Tonpe's eyes widened in shock as he stared at me.
"It's just ignoring us. To it, we're snacks on legs. But if we make noise hunting the chameleons and wake it—piss it off—then it won't overlook us anymore."
"Then... what do we do?"
Glancing nervously at the lair—perhaps sensing the dragon's gaze—Tonpe's face hardened.
"Select two fast ones. They'll lure the chameleons away from the lair."
I outlined the plan step by step: bait team to draw Snow Chameleon attention, diversion team to scatter focus when Lanselro emerges, and strike team to end it. Perfect coordination was essential; one slip meant death.
"I'll do it."
Narang, Mokan Tribe leader, volunteered for bait.
"Figures—you're good at running tails."
"Shut it."
Aishira teased, but clapped his shoulder lightly—no malice. "Thanks."
She smirked at his snort, her way of showing gratitude. Narang, once the fiercest opponent to this dragon hunt, was one of the four highest-level NPCs here, outranking even Kawara. His participation alone was a boon.
"As you know, Snow Chameleons' tongues carry paralyzing venom. Be careful."
"I've lived in the North far longer than you outsiders."
Narang replied curtly, still grumpy, but that sufficed for me.
"Everyone to positions."
Instead of words, I signaled with my eyes. He leaped off with his subordinate.
Ku-gagagagagak---!!!
From the cliff, Narang drew his composite bow to full draw. Three arrows flew at the monsters simultaneously.
[Kyaaak! Kyaaaak!! Kyagyagyagyeok!!]
The monsters around the lair screeched in unison, charging him. He and his man split into the canyon's forks.
"Hunt prep."
Aishira glanced at me. I dumped divine beast powder from my pouch into my mouth.
Gulp— The powder mixed with saliva, thickly sliding down my throat.
"Hoo...."
Cold northern wind filled my mouth; my throat burned like fire.
Divine Beast Powder spreads through your body.
Your mana converts to spirit mana.
5 Mana → 5 Spirit Mana
Caution: No spirit arts skills available; cannot use spirit arts.
During Divine Beast Powder duration, magic skill effects doubled via spirit mana attributes.
Caution: No magic skills available; cannot use magic.
"Cough! Cough...!!"
Lungs tearing, I staggered, coughing. Aishira shouted urgently.
"You okay?"
I nodded.
Your spirit mana receives the full moon's influence.
Power of Cheong-gwi envelops your body.
Spirit mana surges momentarily.
5 Spirit Mana → 150 Spirit Mana
Duration: 5 minutes
"...!!!"
150 mana? A 30x boost? Divine Beast Powder had this effect too...
Pain faded; I marveled at the sudden mana spike.
That's how Lorend Man soloed a spirit devourer. As Steel Kingdom's archmage, already 7th class, amplified mana could've pierced dragon scales.
Only 5 minutes, but this is nearly level 70 mana.
Lucky for my mana affinity, I could utilize the powder—barely. With just 5 mana, it'd be useless otherwise. The goal: twist the dragon's inner spirit power using my meager mana.
But this much... maybe it's possible.
Wooong....
Drawing Amur's shortsword, I condensed mana; faint energy formed along the blade.
As expected...
I nodded, watching mana manifest on the edge.
"Mana Blade...? You're a spellsword?"
Aishira gaped at the mana-wrapped blade.
"No."
Short answer, but her face filled with questions.
Same as Dimension World 1.
At level 10, first job change. As Supreme ice battle mage hidden class, my first change involved magic tower training for mana awakening. From jobless, tower floor 1 awakens mana affinity. Floor 2 teaches combat magic: channeling mana into weapons for strikes.
To cast spells, you pull mana—but weapon infusion eases control.
Yet infusing mana was tricky, making mages rare.
Tower floor 2's combat magic is Mana Blade's origin.
Thus, first job mage, second swordmaster = spellsword. After, basic spells and graduation make you a mage. Mana Blade is pre-jobless tech.
System-wise, quit mid-tower and affinity vanishes—forcing mage job. But...
Memory Keeper title gave permanent mana affinity—system exception, me.
Mana Blade (Amur's Shortsword) generated.
Amur's Shortsword gains spirit mana attack power.
Attack Power (Dragonkin Specialization): 100(+250) (30000+2500)
Full moon enhances Mana Blade's spirit mana power.
Attack Power (Dragonkin Specialization): 100(+450) (30000+5500)
"...."
I stared, speechless at the absurd damage.
Over 30k attack... Shortsword's 100% first-strike guarantee. Nail the reverse scale perfectly...
One-shot kill, no exaggeration.
First Heroic boss slay on continent earned a title. Dragon's Legendary field boss.
Anticipation built for the rewards.
"Let's begin."
I eyed the blizzard-shrouded Lanselro lair.
The roles have reversed.
The land's strongest monster was now prey.